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Holmes Bell takes reins at HGBD

Holmes Bell and his father Gus Bell talk about some of the former projects completed by Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung.

Photos by Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News

Holmes Bell, along with his father Gus Bell, at the offices of Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung on Commercial Drive.

Holmes Bell and his father Gus Bell look over a set of plans for a wastewater and sewage project in Saudi Arabia at the Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung offices on Commercial Drive.

Holmes Bell has grown up at Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung, the engineering consulting and architectural design firm his father Gus joined in 1966 and bought 20 years later.

“And I mean that literally,” the younger Bell said, laughing.

“I started working on our surveying crews the summer after seventh grade. Dad wanted me to learn from the ground up.”

Those who know Gus Bell and his strong work ethic wouldn’t be surprised.

“I wanted him to learn to respect hard work at an early age. I also wanted him to appreciate it when he finally worked his way inside,” the elder Bell said with a smile.

All those early lessons had the desired effect. After graduating from Hampden-Sydney College and Mercer University School of Engineering, Holmes Bell joined the firm full time in 1994.

Over the years, he has assumed a myriad of positions within the Bell companies, providing engineering and design service to dozens of counties, municipalities and government agencies throughout the Coastal Empire, Lowcountry and the state of Georgia.

More than 10 years ago, he began to buy the controlling interest in the companies his father owned. He is proud of the fact he wasn’t given the position, but paid for all of the shares he now owns.

On Jan. 1, the purchase was complete and Holmes Bell became CEO and chairman of all Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung companies. That includes HGBD Inc. of Georgia, HGBD Inc. of South Carolina, HGBD Environmental, HGBD International, HGBD Surveyors LLC and HGBD Arabia LLC.

With more than 150 professional engineers, architects and surveyors, the HGBD companies have offices in Savannah and Gaineville, Ga., Charleston and Columbia, S.C., and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The younger Bell is quick to point out that his father will remain active with the companies as chairman emeritus and will focus his attention on business development, particularly in South Carolina.

“As a native of South Carolina and graduate of the Citadel, Dad has a lifetime of contacts,” Bell said. “This will free him up to pursue new projects.”

Not that the company hasn’t always had plenty to keep them busy. Evidence of their design and engineering expertise can be found near and far — from Rousakis Plaza on River Street to the massive JCB headquarters and manufacturing facility on Interstate 95; from Palmetto Dunes Resort and Shelter Cove on Hilton Head Island to the city of Savannah’s 62.5 million gallon-per-day water treatment plant on Ga. 21 and Savannah High School’s modern incarnation on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Nor is the firm’s reach limited to Georgia and South Carolina. In fact, HGBD Arabia is wrapping up two of its largest projects to date – building wastewater and sewage treatment facilities from the ground up in two diverse area of Saudi Arabia, each with its own set of issues.

One, the Northern Borders Region, is challenging in its sheer size — it’s larger than the state of California — while the other region is rugged and mountainous. The cost of the projects — which include 33 wastewater treatment plants and 10,000 miles of sewer lines — is approximately $2.5 billion.

So, will Holmes Bell run the company in much the same way as his father?

“Yes and no,” he said. “While it’s hard to argue with Dad’s success, the recent economic recession has forced us to internally evaluate our business strategies. I have implemented some changes this year that are already showing positive effects.

“Fortunately, Dad’s foresight and longstanding reputation with the (U.S. Army) Corps of Engineers has helped us ride out the economic downturn,” he said. “About 85 percent of our work is in the public sector.

“We do a lot of Department of Transportation work — we’re currently designing bridges, interchanges and interstate highway improvements in both Georgia and South Carolina. And we still do a tremendous amount of work for the Corps of Engineers.”

The company is also designing several buildings on the Memorial University Medical Center campus to be used by the hospital and its affiliated Mercer University School of Medicine, as well as buildings on the Mercer University campus in Macon..

“We are so fortunate to have the most talented and dedicated professionals working right here at HGBD,” Holmes Bell said.

“I have no doubt we can keep the firm growing and performing to the highest level of standards.”

ABOUT HGBD

An Engineering News Record Top 500 Engineering Firm for more than 20 years, Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung has provided professional engineering and architecture services in 19 countries and 36 states since its founding in 1958.

The company offers full service expertise in the fields of transportation, drainage, water and wastewater systems, solid waste, site development, master planning, industrial plants and marine facilities, as well as support services in the fields of geotechnical and environmental engineering and surveying. To learn more, go to www.hgbd.com.

ABOUT G. HOLMES BELL IV

A Savannah native and professional civil engineer, Holmes Bell is CEO and chairman of the board for all Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung companies. He is also general partner of the Bell Family LLLP, which owns and operates more than 250,000 square feet of Class A office and industrial space in Georgia and the Carolinas.

He has participated in numerous civic endeavors and been active with many organizations, including Leadership Savannah, Leadership Georgia, the Memorial Health Foundation Board, Mercer University’s National Engineering Advisory Board and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.